Hurricane man arrested following fatal car-motorcycle crash

HURRICANE – A Hurricane man was arrested Friday in relation to an afternoon collision between a car and a motorcycle that left one man dead.

Robert J. Lounsbury, 51, was arrested by Hurricane City Police and charged with automobile homicide.

A man was killed in a car-motorcycle collision in Hurricane Friday. The driver of the car was later arrested on charges that included him allegedly driving under the influence and causing a fatal crash. Hurricane, Utah, May 13, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

“This charge is stemming from allegedly being DUI and causing a fatal crash,” police Sgt. Brandon Buell said in a statement issued late Friday. “He was also charged with failure to yield (on a) left turn and violating an alcohol restricted Drivers License.”

The crash occurred around 3:15 p.m. at the intersection of 870 West and 325 North in Hurricane.

When police arrived, they found a blue 1997 Buick LeSabre had collided with a 2007 Black Suzuki motorcycle. The motorcycle was on its side in the roadway by the car.

The 64-year-old man who had been riding the motorcycle was also on the ground and was unresponsive. He was taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George in critical condition and was pronounced dead there.

The man’s name has yet to be released by authorities.

A man was killed following a car-motorcycle collision in Hurricane. The driver of the car was later arrested on charges that included him allegedly driving under the influence and causing a fatal crash. Hurricane, Utah, May 13, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Preliminary investigation indicates the 64-year-old man operating the motorcycle was southbound on 870 West. As it approached the intersection of 325 North, Lounsbury was northbound on 870 West in the LeSabre.

“It’s believed that Lounsbury was making a left turn onto 325 North, failing to yield to the motorcycle,” Buell said in the statement.

The area around the intersection was blocked for about an hour while investigators dealt with the scene.

Hurricane City Police Department, Hurricane Valley Fire District and Utah Highway Patrol responded to the incident.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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A man was killed in a car-motorcycle collision in Hurricane Friday. The driver of the car was later arrested on charges that included him allegedly driving under the influence and causing a fatal crash. Hurricane, Utah, May 13, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

A man was killed in a car-motorcycle collision in Hurricane Friday. The driver of the car was later arrested on charges that included him allegedly driving under the influence and causing a fatal crash. Hurricane, Utah, May 13, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

A man was killed in a car-motorcycle collision in Hurricane Friday. The driver of the car was later arrested on charges that included him allegedly driving under the influence and causing a fatal crash. Hurricane, Utah, May 13, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

A man was killed in a car-motorcycle collision in Hurricane Friday. The driver of the car was later arrested on charges that included him allegedly driving under the influence and causing a fatal crash. Hurricane, Utah, May 13, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

A man was killed in a car-motorcycle collision in Hurricane Friday. The driver of the car was later arrested on charges that included him allegedly driving under the influence and causing a fatal crash. Hurricane, Utah, May 13, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

A man was killed in a car-motorcycle collision in Hurricane Friday. The driver of the car was later arrested on charges that included him allegedly driving under the influence and causing a fatal crash. Hurricane, Utah, May 13, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

A man was killed in a car-motorcycle collision in Hurricane Friday. The driver of the car was later arrested on charges that included him allegedly driving under the influence and causing a fatal crash. Hurricane, Utah, May 13, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

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About the Author

Mori Kessler serves as a Senior Reporter for St. George News, having previously contributed as a writer and Interim Editor in 2011-12, and an assistant editor from 2012 to mid-2014. He began writing news as a freelancer in 2009 for Today in Dixie, and joined the writing staff of St. George News in mid-2010. He is also a shameless nerd and has a bad sense of direction, often telling people go left while he is pointing right. Numbers greater than five also confuse him.